§ 96. Mr. Liptonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to implement the recommendation of the Widgery Committee on Legal Aid in criminal cases that an accused person liable to imprisonment if found guilty should not be denied legal aid because he has pleaded guilty.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe Committee considered that where there was a real risk of a sentence of imprisonment being passed, there was a strongprima facie case for the grant of legal aid, although they also considered that legal aid should rarely be necessary for the purpose of a plea in mitigation in summary cases. As I explained during the Second Reading of the Criminal Justice Bill, Government initiative on these and other proposals which can he implemented without legislation will be co-ordinated with implementation of the Committee's recommendations as a whole, including those for which provision is made in the Bill.